[The official rule on
nullification of psionics on the Outlands (according to
p6 of "A Player's Primer to the Outlands" is that
at the 6th ring, all non-godlike psionics abilities are
cancelled. Magical and priestly powers are slowly
annulled, making such characters much less hindered by
travel on the Outlands. That's all very well, perhaps,
unless you're playing a psionicist character. The
suggested rules below attempt to redress the imbalance
between psionic and magical absorption...]
Introduction:
The Spire is an infinitely tall structure that absorbs
spells from magic-using types. As a spellcaster gets
closer and closer to it, they find that they can cast
fewer and fewer spells. The Spire absorbs more powerful
spells first (and farther away) while less powerful
spells can still be cast until the spellcaster gets
really close to the Spire. It has been recorded that
there are nine levels or rings surrounding the
Spire, which determine the intensity of the
absorption.
Thesis:
In the area around the Spire, spellcasters lose magical
energy, in the form of memorised spells. There really are
no definite rule(s) for dealing with psionics and the
Spire. It is generally agreed, though, that psionics are
subject to the Spire's absorption influence, and that
psionics eventually don't work close to the Spire. I have
presented a system below to deal with this
effect.
The Spire and
Psionics: As a spellcaster
gets closer to the Spire, they lose the ability to cast
spells, the highest level (9th) being absorbed by the
Spire (and erased from the spellcaster's memory) first,
while the lowest level is not absorbed until the
spellcaster is close near the Spire. Wizard spells have
been described as manipulation of external energies found
naturally in the world/plane/whatever, to cause a
specific effect. Clerical spells are the blessings and
manifestations of a specific power i.e. their god,
however: gods' abilities are negated (we assume absorbed)
by the spire, also, ergo priest spells are subject to the
Spire's absorption also.
Psionics
differ as they use internal energy to cause specific
effects. However, as stated above, psionics are subject
to the Spire's absorption (mainly to maintain game
balance). Therefore, since the Spire absorbs energies --
memorised spells for spellcasters -- it also absorbs
energy from psionicists (and psionic creatures) in the
form of their energy: Psionic Strength Points
(PSPs).
As
a psionically-endowed creature (including wild talents,
see below) goes closer to the Spire, they find they have
less and less PSPs. When the psionicist (n.b.
"psionicist" when used will indicate any creature with
psionic talents) enter a new ring, they might be subject
to the absorption of the Spire. Less powerful psionicists
(with fewer PSPs) find that they can go closer to the
Spire without a reduction in power, since the Spire
absorbs the most powerful energy first.
When
a psionicist enters a new ring, cross-reference
his/her/its level and the ring level on the table below.
If there is a loss (represented by a percentage of the
psionicist's maximum PSP total), the psionicist's maximum
PSP total drops to this amount immediately. If their
current PSP pool was larger than their reduced maximum
PSP total would be, the excess points are lost (absorbed
by the Spire). The psionicist can't regain PSPs in any
way to raise their current total higher than their
temporarily-altered total.
Using
a metapsionic power or the Harness Subconscious
non-weapon proficiency in attempts to raise the
psionicist's current PSPs higher than the reduced-maximum
PSP total will not work, although any other effects will
stay in effect e.g. a cannibalized psionicist will
have less Constitution but no more PSPs.
These
losses are calculated as a percentage of total (maximum)
PSPs. These losses in the psionicist's maximum PSP total
are permanent so long as the psionicist remains within
that ring. Moving closer will result in a greater loss,
while moving away will result in an increase
(percentage-wise) of the max PSPs. When the psionicist
moves to a further ring, they don't immediately regain
the PSPs, rather they can use powers or regain PSPs until
their current PSP total is equal to their reduced-maximum
PSP total. Once out of the Spire's furthest ring, powers
and effects may be used to increase irthe PSP current
total higher than the maximum PSP total as normal,
described within the power's effect.
